OrcaFact2

Orca Info

Cetaceans 1

Cetaceans 2

Hunting 1

Hunting 2

Sight

Swimming

Habitat

Body Stats

Males and Calves

Fact or Myth: Cetaceans can be divided into two groups based on what’s inside their mouth; teeth or baleen.

Fact - Orcas are from the toothed category as they can grasp fish and other large animals they eat. Baleen whales, on the other hand, strain some of the tiniest creatures from the ocean for their food. Orca teeth are designed for holding and stabbing, but not for chewing. Thus, their teeth are cone-shaped. Food is swallowed whole. If you look in a toothed whales mouth, you won’t see any molars like you find in your mouth.

Orca Teeth

Sperm Whale Teeth

Fact or Myth: Scientists figure out the age of an Orca by examining its teeth.

Fact - This is similar to estimating the age of a tree by counting its rings. As an Orca gets older, growth layers of dental material gradually form on its teeth. When a part of the tooth is removed, the layers are counted to determine its age.

A calf begins to get its top teeth at about three months of age and the bottom teeth about a month later.

Glossary

baleen - a horny substance found in two layers in the mouth of a baleen whale
calf - a calf is a young killer whale
molar - a tooth having a flat or rounded surface used for grinding

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Citations

All images in this page are the original creations of our team except the image of the submarine from "Microsoft Office Online." Image use permitted according the guidelines at
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/tou.aspx. The whale teeth pictures were taken with permission at the Vancouver Aquarium.